Parent`s readiness to educate children with learning disabilities in inclusive educational institutions

ГОТОВНІСТЬ БАТЬКІВ ВИХОВУВАТИ ДІТЕЙ З ОБМЕЖЕНИМИ МОЖЛИВОСТЯМИ НАВЧАННЯ В НАВЧАЛЬНИХ ЗАКЛАДАХ З ІНКЛЮЗИВНИМИ НАПРЯМАМИ

Трансформаційна стратегія інклюзивної освіти в Україні передбачає вдосконалення системи навчання й виховання дітей з особливими освітніми потребами (ООП), створення відповідного загальноосвітнього простору на основі системного, аксіологічного, командного, кондуктивного, індивідуального й середовищного підходів, що впливають на соціодинаміку поширення інклюзії. Стаття присвячена аналізу готовності батьків дітей з особливими освітніми потребами до навчання дітей у закладах дошкільної освіти й середніх загальноосвітніх закладах. Наголошується на ролі сім'ї, зокрема батьків, як головного суб'єкта в процесі формування інклюзивних освітніх стратегій і наданні підтримки дитині з особливими потребами в процесі її залучення до загальноосвітнього простору, єдності впливу родини та якості інклюзивного навчання, усвідомлення того, що родина (батьки, особи, що їх заміщають) виконує головну функцію в процесі розроблення освітнього маршруту дитини з особливими потребами й фасилітації в опануванні соціальних моделей поведінки.

Зазначено, що ефективною є індивідуальна робота з батьками й групова, зокрема такі групові форми роботи, як тренінгові заняття, семінари, диспути, засідання батьківського клубу, що розширює знання батьків про психологічні особливості дітей, тактики сімейного виховання, кризові періоди розвитку дітей. Під час таких зустрічей не лише підвищується поінформованість батьків про дитину, а й відбуваються зміни в ставленні батьків до проблем дитини й до завдань її виховання. Процес реалізації психологічної підтримки батьків тривалий і потребує комплексного підходу, який передбачає участь не лише психолога, а й усіх інших фахівців, які супроводжують дитину. Необхідно, щоб цей процес був неперервним, комплексним і мав творчий характер. Наголошується, що чим більше залучені батьки в інклюзію, тим більша ймовірність досягнення бажаних результатів у дітей

Ключові слова: інклюзивна освіта, діти з особливими освітніми потребами, готовність батьків, психологічна підтримка.

The main text

At the present stage of Ukraine education development, one of the possible options for inclusion of a child with psychophysical disabilities into the general education space is inclusion, which means that a child with special educational needs is given the right to attend a general educational institution which has the appropriate educational environment and additional services, that let the child to benefit from the collaborative learning with typical students. The spread of inclusion is closely connected with the processes of democratization of the public consciousness, the international recognition for every person of the right to a full life and education.

The spread of inclusion in Ukraine is directly related to the creation of a comprehensive space based on systemic, axiological, command, conductive, individual and environmental approaches (V. Kremen, A. Kolupayeva, P. Talanchuk, O. Taranchenko, etc.). Thus, the Concept of the New Ukrainian School makes it possible to use a personcentered approach in the educational process, which allows taking into account the abilities, needs, interests of each child.

Based on the principles of inclusive education, i.e. the principle of respect for equal rights to education; the principle of tolerant attitude towards each child, recognition of its value, regardless of features or differences, non-discrimination; the principle of the supreme interests of the child; the principle of early intervention; the principle of personally oriented educational process; the principle of providing support and tutoring in the learning process; the principle of the right of parents to choose an educational institution and participate in the learning process; the principle of professional cooperation and social interaction.

Thus, based on a person-centered educational model inclusive education provides quality education at all levels, in all educational units. Therefore, the cooperation of parents with the support team is especially important; the purpose of the article is to analyze the formation of the readiness of parents of children with special educational needs to teach children in preschool and general secondary schools.

The introduction of inclusive education for preschool children with special needs, in particular those who need the correction of psychophysical development, anticipates the creation of a special educational environment for them, which would meet the needs and opportunities of each child and provide adequate conditions and potentialities for education, treatment and rehabilitation, education and training, correction of disorders of psychophysical development, early socialization.

Deppeler J. (1998) identified five basic elements of the learning environment, namely the physical environment, materials, resources, methods and techniques, expected learning outcomes. All components are carefully developed in advance as they ensure that the child's learning is accessible.

In the domestic and foreign psycho-pedagogical literature, there is a fairly clear idea of the environment (I. Bekh, E. Bondarevska, J. Gibson, K. Knyazeva, S. Kapytsa, I. Prygozhyn, I. Stengers, V. Yasvin, etc.). In particular, according to a system-ecological approach, the environment or social environment is considered as a systematic combination of a set of various factors that interact with each other and form a set of systemic nature.

However, regardless of the state of the learning environment, both in the whole world and in Ukraine, parents are the main initiators of the implementation of inclusive programs. First, this is because parents are the natural bearers of the idea, the spirit of placing children with special needs in the general system and, moreover, they are the customers and consumers of this type of educational services.

The Concept of Family and Family Education emphasizes that “modern family should be the main link in the upbringing of the child, providing it with the necessary material and pedagogical conditions for physical, moral and spiritual development” (Concept, 2012-2021).

As scientists rightly point out, the modern family of a child with a psychophysical disability can rarely act as an effective factor in its social integration. The main reasons for this situation are low economic status of many families; lack of any effective support from the state (in particular, education); negative social attitude.

With the Ukraine's ratification of a number of international documents, in particular the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, radical changes have been initiated in the organization of education of children with special educational needs, and the introduction of inclusive education, which should be harmoniously integrated with the existing system of special education. Problems of inclusive education are increasingly attracting attention of researchers (I. Gylevych, V. Zasenko, A. Kolupayeva, O. Taranchenko, K. Shapochka, L. Savchuk, L. Shypitsyna, etc.).

Inclusive education is a system of educational services based on the principle of ensuring the basic right of children to education and the right to study at the place of residence, providing for education in a general educational institution. In order to ensure equal access to quality education, inclusive educational institutions must adapt curricula, methods and forms of learning, use of existing resources, partnership with the community to individual educational needs and different styles of teaching children with special educational needs. Inclusive educational institutions should provide a range of services required to meet the different educational needs of such children.

Philosophical and conceptual bases of organization of inclusive education and features of correctional and educational, correctional and developmental work of children with psychophysical developmental needs in the conditions of inclusive and special education are covered in the works of Ukrainian scientists (Yu. Boychuk, V. Bondar, L. Danylenko, Demchenko, I. Dmytrieva, V. Zasenko, A. Kolupayeva, S. Konoplyasta, I. Martynenko, S. Myronova, N. Pakhomova, T Sak, V. Synyov, E. Synyova, V. Tarasun, N. Sofiy, N. Slobodyanyuk, K. Shapochka, A. Shevtsov, M. Sheremet, D. Shulzhenko and others).

According to A. Kolupayeva, O. Taranchenko, inclusive education as an educational personally oriented process involves placing the child in the general education environment, ensuring the availability of educational programs through diversification of various forms and methods, providing flexibility of curriculum, adaptation of teaching, teaching services and support. (Kolupaeva, 2019).

Transformational strategy of inclusive education in Ukraine envisages improvement of the system of education and upbringing of children with special needs, creation of appropriate general educational space on the basis of system, axiological, command, conductive, individual and environmental approaches that influence the socio-dynamics of the spread of inclusion.

Within the scope of our article, the conductive approach is of particular interest. Thus, defining the role of the family, including parents, as the main actor in the process of developing inclusive educational strategies and supporting the child with special needs in the process of engaging them in the general education space. A conductive approach is the unity of the influence of a family and the quality of inclusive education, the awareness that the family (parents, substitutes) plays a major role in the development of the educational rout of a child with special needs and facilitates the acquisition of social behaviors.

Maximum effectiveness of inclusive education is ensured by many factors. Tim Loreman identifies seven “pillars of inclusive education” that support this process. One of the key issues is the involvement of parents in cooperation with teachers. He rightly states that without them, very little progress would be made towards inclusive education. Parents, as advocates for their child's interests, require accountability from educators, and are encouraged to review and reassess their views, points of view, and approaches to work. Therefore, the purpose of inclusive education is to create a model of a shared educational space where children with disabilities are co-located in a general education environment with peers who are developing normally. In order to make the most progress in the social development of a disabled child, parental involvement is mandatory and indisputable (Loreman, 2010).

Awareness of the benefits of inclusive education is a major prerequisite for parents of children with special educational needs, including children with psychophysical disabilities, to be educated in regular educational institutions. Inclusive educational process enables parents and their children to be not objects but subjects of the educational process; the opportunity to study in regular educational institutions while receiving additional educational services and support; together with specialists, members of the support team determine educational goals depending on the child's personal potential; helps to understand the diversity of the school and community; encourages communication with other parents; helps formulate a clear goal and create a real future for the child (Kolupayeva, 2019: 3).

The modern family of a child with a psychophysical disability can very rarely act as an effective factor in its social integration. The main reasons for this situation are: low economic status of many families; lack of any effective support from the state (including education); negative social attitude (Kolupayeva, 2012).

A family with children with special educational needs is a category that is at risk. It is known that the number of mental (neurotic and psychosomatic) disorders in families with children with disabilities are more than twice as high as in families without children with disabilities. These and other factors lead to that parents in many cases obstructing the rehabilitation of children with disabilities. However, even when parents take a more constructive stance, they feel emotionally overloaded and need special knowledge about their child's health and developmental problems (Eydemiller, 2008).

Educating children with special needs is a common task for parents and professionals. Parents' positive attitude to this encourages inclusion in regular educational institutions and society. Parents of a child with special educational needs need support to fulfill their parental role.

Families in the process of upbringing, social integration of a child with special needs face a great deal of difficulty. They are the absence of psychological and pedagogical support, necessary medical treatment, rehabilitation assistance to children, etc. Sometimes the closest people to a child with special needs are themselves in a state of chronic stress caused by a child's ailment, circumstances of treatment, upbringing, training, professional formation of their special child. All this complicates social integration.

Inclusion should help to involve parents in solving these problems, and parents, in turn, should learn to cooperate for the most comfortable process of upbringing and educating a child with special needs.

It is in the family that family values emerge and accumulate, a person's historical identity, his/her pride in the family, his/her people, his/her belief in the future, are formed. Foundations for the education and formation of the future personality, through which the descendants receive spiritual heritage, life experience, work skills, national mentality are laid in the family.

The main element of inclusive education is the involvement of parents in the educational process, participation in the development of an individual educational plan or program for the development of a child with special educational needs. Establishing partnerships with parents, taking into account cultural traditions and interests of families makes it possible to overcome stereotypes in dealing with families, upbringing children with special educational needs.